Pray
by Hyper and Dream
Summary: Songfic one-shot of song "Pray". Obama is getting the rights to take his soldiers out of the war. What do the people in Brooklyn House, especially those who have family in the war, do? Pray, of course. R&R.


**A/N: Animal: Hello! *is hyper on Oreos***

**Muse: Thanks for letting me invade your A/N.**

**Animal: Any time, Muse. Besides, we decided you were going to demand to invade one sooner or later.**

**Hyper: No probs, Muse. :-) Thanks for invading it. *steals Animal's Oreos***

**Animal: STOP STEALING MY OREOS!**

**Muse: Because I'm that much of a diva. #sarcasm I don't even care that it's Jarter. Because you two don't own TKC so you can't make Jaz fall madly in love with Carter in the third book.**

**Hyper: 1. But, Animal *whines* It's not like my mom feeds me! I need to get food _somehow__! _2. *pouts* She doesn't have to be _madly_ in love... Just a little in love :3 **

**Muse: Meh. I still like Jaz/Walt better. *is contemplating using this to shamelessly promote Jalt story, Unexpected which will be updated on Friday along with Nashville Lights***

**Animal: We know, Muse. *sighs* Do I need to give the "You're acting like we're aliens" speech again?**

**Hyper: *facepalm* Way to promote yourself, Muse. :P AND JARTER FTW! **

**Muse: But you two are aliens. You are carbon copies of each other, just like Differential and Flameroni are.**

**Animal: OKAY, OKAY, WHATEVER. *grumbles* So now that the disclaimer has been done...TO THE BOTTOM A/N!**

**Hyper: CARBON CAPIES ND PROUD OF IT! (go my penname! XD)**

**Muse: Just read their story whilst eating some Oreos, FF viewers. (Even though they aren't that good.. The Oreos I mean.)**

**Pray  
><strong>

Jaz sipped on her morning coffee, which helped a lot with her fatigue. She didn't need Carter to know that she woke up early just to have coffee with him. Or that she normally doesn't wake up early.

Carter flipped on the TV, for once having control of the remote (which never happened when Sadie was awake). He turned it to the news and sat back with his own mug of coffee.

"How can you stand watching the news?" Jaz asked him, flinching slightly, but unnoticed. She hated watching the news ever since...

_Don't think about that, _she reminded herself.

"I guess... I watch it to make sure there's no bad news," he admitted. "I usually only pay attention to the first few stories. If there was anything really bad, it would be in the first few."

"Like _that_?" Jaz pointed to the screen with one shaky hand around her mug, as Obama gave a speech on why he should be given the rights to take his soldiers out of another war. Carter stared.

_It's in the papers, it's on the TV, it's everywhere I go  
><em>_Children are crying, soldiers are dying, some people don't have a home_

"He... He's finally taking them out?"

"He's trying to get the rights to take them out, but yes." Jaz was giddy, and suddenly watching the news wasn't so bad after all. "This is great!"

"This is better than great, Jaz!" Carter jumped up and ran up the stairs to wake the trainees, not caring if they would be mad he woke them up so early.

Jaz stared after him, a bit disappointed (she had the whole hugging thing in her mind), but she shook it off. She was going to have _him_ back.

####

"Carter, what's such a bloody big deal you have to wake us at this ungodly time of morning?" Sadie demanded as she followed Carter down the stairs.

Carter just grinned and pointed to the screen, showing two different scenes - Obama still giving the speech to get the rights to take his soldiers back home, and the real war going on in the other box.

"Oh my God.." Sadie trailed off, her eyes wide, speechless for once in her life.

Jaz rushed forward and, considering the fact she couldn't hug Carter in front of Sadie, hugged Alyssa while the two jumped up and down.

"What's going on? Why are people hugging?" Felix asked sleepily as he walked in rubbing his eyes.

Jaz broke from the hug, and, to pretty much everyone's surprise, picked Felix up. "The soldiers are going to come home!"

He stared at her for a moment before the words sank in. "The soldiers?" He repeated. "L-like my mom?"

"Yes, just like your mom." Jaz grinned, but she was thinking of another soldier, too.

As the other trainees came down, there were more explanations, more hugging, and more cheering and joyful tears.

#####

Jaz was being a Mom and tucking little eight-year-old Felix into bed that night. She was still ridiculously happy about the news.

"Thanks, Jaz," Felix said.

"Anytime, Felix." She even kissed his forehead. "But remember: close your eyes and picture a better day. Close your eyes and pray to God."

_I close my eyes and I can see a better day  
><em>_I close my eyes and pray_

He nodded, closed his eyes, and did so. Jaz smiled.

"Remember," Jaz whispered to the closed-eye Felix, "there are Egyptian gods. And then there is God, who controls everything. But don't tell the Egyptian gods I said that." Felix grinned and nodded.

"Pray to Him everyday," Jaz continued softly. "God has a plan for everyone. He will let us follow the way we think right as long as we love Him. We could not love Him, but then...the soldiers might not come back safe." Jaz winced at the thought. "Pray, Felix. Pray with that penguin-loving heart of yours." She poked his chest. "God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of a prayer."

He nodded again. "My mom used to pray with me every night... Before she went to war..." Felix trailed off quietly.

Jaz grabbed his hand. "I'll pray with you every night until she comes back."

"Thank you, Jaz," he said gratefully. He turned away, looking across the room, thoughtfully.

"Wha'cha thinking of?" Jaz whispered.

"Well... Just 'cause the soldiers are coming home doesn't mean that the world is suddenly perfect," he whispered back. "There's still homeless people, and there's still war."

_Some people don't have a home..._

"And that's why we pray every night," Jaz whispered. "The soldiers coming home is a small step into making the world a better place. But, Felix..." She locked eyes with him. "Don't ask for the Giver's world."

"The Giver's world?" Felix repeated, confused.

"...you know what?" Jaz grabbed the book out of the Duat. "We're going to read this book together after praying every night, okay? But technically, the Giver's world is perfect...but it's also wrong in so many ways. They don't have Grandparents. They have no feelings. They can't see in color. They have no music or animals. Or penguins."

"No penguins?" His eyes widened in horror. "Okay, I definitely don't want to live in the Giver's world."

Jaz grinned. "Good, because in the Giver's world, penguins are imaginary."

"... I think I prefer to real world."

"Just better, right?"

"Yeah." Felix agreed.

"So, let's take a minute to pray before going to read the Giver, 'kay?" Jaz went into a kneeling position in front of the bed, her elbows on the bed, her fingers intertwined by each other. Felix mimicked her posture and waited for her to speak.

"God, forgive me for my sins. I have not prayed to You for the last few months, because I've been learning about other gods. But that is no excuse to ignore You. Forgive me," Jaz murmured, head bowed, eyes closed as she thought of a brighter, better day.

_I close my eyes and I can see a brighter day  
><em>_I close my eyes and pray  
><em>_I close my eyes and I can see a better day  
><em>_I close my eyes and pray_

"But please make the soldiers return home safely. I still love You, Lord. My life has not been easy these last few months, but just knowing that You love me is all I need. Please help those who have no home, or money, or food, and please make the world a better place for the next generation, or tell us how we can make a change. Felix and I love You, Lord. Amen."

_But I know there's sunshine behind that rain  
><em>_I know there's good times beyond that pain  
><em>_Hey, can you tell me how I can make a change?_

"Will... Will God be mad that I haven't prayed since Mom went to war?" Felix asked quietly.

Jaz opened her eyes and looked at Felix. "No, Felix. God is all-forgiving. He would never be mad at you. A lot of people don't pray to Him, and He isn't mad at them." She wrapped her arms around the animal charmer. "God won't be mad."

Tears pricked at the back of Felix's eyes as he nodded silently and hugged her back, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.

####

Carter sank onto the sofa. He leaned back and closed his eyes.

Jaz was sitting in a nearby armchair, looking at her mug of hot chocolate that Felix had been so kind to make for her - complete with the right temperature, six mini marshmallow, and the right mug.

"How are you, Jaz?" Carter asked, keeping his eyes closed.

"Wha-? Oh, fine," she lied. "You?"

"Not good because my best friend just lied to me. What's up, Jaz?"

Jaz stared at her mug, which was getting cold, so she took a shaky sip. He opened his eyes and studied her curiously.

"My dad is a soldier," she admitted so fast he barely understood. Carter nodded slowly, understanding.

"Well, he's coming home now, Jaz," he told her gently. "Obama is bringing the soldiers home."

"But what if he hasn't made it through this long?" Her voice cracked. Carter stood up and walked over to her. He knelt down beside her.

"Jaz," he began softly. "I know how you feel. I know it seems impossible that anybody could understand how you feel right now, but I do. And right now... There's nothing more you can do than pray."

"And I hate that," she muttered. "I know praying is good and helps, but I want to do something more."

"Like what?" Carter asked.

"Be with God to help Him get the soldiers home." Jaz looked away, feeling like her comment was childish. She felt his hand slip into hers.

"Don't we wish," he whispered. "But we have to trust that God can do his job. I have faith in Him. Do you?"

Jaz nodded. He continued. "Good. The Lord has a plan, Jaz. We have to trust it. Even if it's painful... It always gets better." His mouth twisted into a half-hearted smile. "Always."

Jaz smiled, and then did something that Carter did _not_ expect.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Carter."

He looked stunned for a moment before his smile returned, even bigger. "Anytime."

####

Almost every trainee were in the Great Room, all on the sofa, every TV on the same channel: CNN. This was the day when Obama would get the rights to take his soldiers home, or not.

Carter sat down next to Jaz and slipped his hand into hers, just like he had days before.

Jaz had Felix cuddled next to her, and she smiled slightly and hesitantly intertwined her and Carter's fingers. He glanced at her and gave her a reassuring smile before they both turned their attention to the newsman on the screen.

"Today is a good day for America," he beamed. He went on to explain how Obama had gotten the rights to withdraw the soldiers from the war, but Brooklyn House barely heard it, because the room had erupted in cheers and shouts of happiness.

Jaz hugged Felix tightly, before he went to hug Cleo, and Jaz wrapped her arms around Carter's neck, pulling him into an embrace. He hugged her back, his breath tickling her ear as he whispered, "Your dad _will_ come home, Jaz. Just keep praying."

Jaz nodded, and continued to hug him tightly, smiling widely.

####

"Felix, are you ready?" Jaz looked at the penguin lover, smiling reassuringly. He nodded quickly, practically bouncing with excitement as he crawled into the taxi cab beside her and Carter.

Carter told the driver the address of the airport and they settled back for the journey.

"We'll find them, Felix," Jaz whispered to Felix. "I know we will."

The boy nodded again, his mouth stretched into a giant grin.

Jaz wished she could be like him - completely confident in this type of things.

But the truth? Her hands were shaking, though she sat on them to hide it.

And the closer they got the airport, the more nervous she felt. What if he beloved father didn't walk through those doors? She didn't think she'd be able to bear it.

She took a deep breath.

"It'll be okay," Carter mouthed at her.

She nodded.

Finally, the taxi pulled up near the airport. They'd have to walk the rest of the way, but Jaz didn't mind too much. The cool air felt good - refreshing.

The airport was crowded with people, all waiting for the soldiers to walk through. Jaz, Felix, and Carter joined them, the three holding hands to not get lost.

They wandered around for quite a bit, both Felix and Jaz searching for certain familiar faces. Carter helped by pointing at random people and asking if he or she was Jaz's dad or Felix's mom.

A woman called out, "Felix!"

Felix spun around and his face lit up, his eyes full of recognition. "Mom!" He shouted. He broke free of Jaz and Carter and hurled himself at the woman.

The woman held her son tightly. "Oh, Felix..." she choked out, pulling back and letting her eyes look at him. "I missed you so much, sweetheart. You've grown so much...you look like your father."

"I missed you, Mom," Felix choked out, tears running down his face.

His mother took off a badge and pinned it to his shirt. "A medal of honor. All for you, Felix." She gave him a warm smile. He couldn't speak, instead just throwing his arms around her waist and hugging her tightly. Carter looked away, sensing this was a private sort of moment.

Felix's mother looked up. "You two - you two brought my Felix here? Have you been treating him right?"

"They've treated me great, Mom," Felix cut in. "Jaz has been reading to me and praying with me every night, and Carter's like a big brother."

"Thank you. Thank you for taking care of my son," she sobbed, pulling Felix, Carter, and Jaz into a group hug. It felt slightly awkward, but they didn't pull away. Jaz smiled a bit.

"Mom? Have you met Jaz's dad?" Felix asked when Jaz and Carter were freed.

"His name is Richard Anderson," Jaz added. "Sergeant Richard Anderson."

"Richard? Yes, I do know him. A very closed man - he only focused on finishing the war to go back home. But he is a kind man once he is able to open up. He was last in line to get out."

Jaz only heard about half of that. Her mind was racing too fast to pay attention to the rest of it. _He's alive... He's alive..._

Without thinking, she burst into a run, Carter following. She went through the mob of soldiers, going to the very end. And there he was. Still in his uniform, hiding nearly all of his brown hair, but his green eyes still sparkled.

"Daddy!" Jaz yelled, running faster and hugging her father tightly.

"Whoa." Richard stumbled back, a wide grin on his face. "Hey, Jazzy. How've you been?" He sounded so casual. And yet the happiness that radiated off of every part of him proved he was just as ecstatic as she was.

"Daddy! You're okay!" Jaz laughed in delight, hugging him tighter.

"Of course I'm okay," Richard said confidently. "What, you thought a silly old war would bring Seargent Anderson down? Heck no."

"I missed you, Daddy," Jaz whispered, feeling 5-years-old again, and she just wanted her father to pick her up and put her on his lap and tell her crazy stories about flying horses and sphinxes.

His face softened. "I missed you too, Jaz."

"No more wars." Jaz looked at him. "Don't."

"Never again," he whispered.

"Good." Jaz buried her face in his neck, trying not to cry.

A few meters away, Carter watched, and couldn't help but smile. That was the Jazzy he loved.

"I just kept praying that God would let me live to see you, Bill, Cassie, and your mother again," Richard told Jaz quietly.

"And I kept praying that God would let you come back safe and sound," Jaz whispered, trembling.

"I'm back now, Sweetheart."

Jaz just kissed his cheek. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you too, Jaz. I always closed my eyes and prayed to see you again."

_I close my eyes and pray..._

**Animal: Hello again! Liked it?**

**Muse: Possibly.**

**Animal: ...erasing the fact that it had Jarter?**

**Muse: Well, you won't know whether people like it until they review. Just sayin'.**

**Animal: *facepalm* I was asking you, Muse.**

**Muse: It's cute.**

**Hyper: :D Anyway... So, we didn't just write this story on a whim. Obviously, this story has a message. Care to help me explain, Animal? **

**Animal: Okay, good enough from you. So, message of the story, as Hyper asked me to help her explain? Quite obvious: PRAY TO GOD, IF YOU BELIEVE IN HIM.**

**Muse: Good to know. *nods***

**Hyper: Remember: even if you've never prayed before, or haven't prayed in a long time: God loves you anyway. The Lord never stops loving you. He's always forgiving. He'll love you so long as you love Him. **

**Animal: If you don't believe in him, that's okay. Because God still loves you, and if you want the world to change into a better place, then God will make your wish come true; slowly, but surely.**

**Muse: In other words, believe what you want to believe in, but you can still know there's hope out there and such.**

**Animal: Exactly. So...yeah. Pray. Believe in what you want to believe in. Hope. Anything else to add *glances at Muse* that isn't perverted?**

**Hyper: One more thing: Keep hope and faith that things will work themselves out somehow. God has a plan. It's up to us to trust Him. Because if we don't... What exactly do we have to believe in? **

**Muse: Must you assume so low of me, Mallie? By the way, I really have no other comments other than to tell Diffy A/N invading is awesome.**

**Animal: Okay, okay. I'm sorry for assume so low of you. And okay. If that's all, BYE! REVIEW! FLAMES ARE ACCEPTED.**

**Hyper: However, if you flame this story, expect me to cuss you out! Not because I usually do that to flamers, but because a story that's friggin about hope and praying doesn't deserve to be flamed. **

**Muse: By the way, if you have Flame in your pen name, it isn't a flame. *points to Flameroni* *makes a grand exit***

**Animal: *nods* Very true, Muse. So...REVIEW! BYE BYE! *runs away with Oreos***

**Hyper: *Chases Animal* GIMME THE DAMN OREOS!**


End file.
